Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Centers In South Dakota

South Dakota is a Midwestern state, and also one of the least populated states in the country, with its population of only around 869,000 made up almost entirely of white and Native American residents. The population of South Dakota averages about eleven people per square mile, compared to the national average of eighty people per square mile. Home to the iconic Mount Rushmore, South Dakota's capital of Pierre, founded in 1880, sits just on the east bank of the Missouri River. However, the densest populations in the state are in the southeastern city of Sioux Falls and the western region of Rapid City.

Substance Abuse in South Dakota

The greatest substance abuse concern in South Dakota is alcohol, as the state is consistently above the national average in alcohol consumption. Additionally, the 2016 South Dakota Epidemiological Profile indicates a soaring chronic liver disease rate of 109.5 per 100,000 people among Native Americans in South Dakota—well above the national average and the overall Native American average of 24.2 per 100,000 people. Additionally, as of 2012, South Dakota's alcohol-related arrests were second highest in the nation, and the rate has fluctuated between second highest and highest in the nation since 2002.

While alcohol consumption rates in South Dakota are a grave concern, illicit drug use statistics are worrisome on their own. Aside from marijuana, methamphetamine is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the state, and rates for the use of meth in South Dakota have consistently been higher than the national average since 1999.

That being said, the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for 2017 shows that alcohol is by far the most common primary substance of abuse in treatment admissions, making up nearly 40 percent of the total. Even methamphetamine is a distant second, accounting for only about 19 percent of all admissions. Almost entirely removed from the opioid epidemic, South Dakota is not experiencing high rates of opioid overdose, abuse, or addiction. However, officials are preparing for the possibility of the epidemic spreading into the state, with plans for prevention and treatment services to be on the ready for residents.

Addiction Treatment Options in South Dakota

Much like the South Dakota population, addiction treatment centers are sparsely located throughout the state. Native American addiction services are accessible through individual tribes, and the rest of the treatment services and facilities in South Dakota are concentrated in the cities of Sioux Falls and Rapid City.

Various levels of care to address addiction and recovery are available at many stages, and include: